Terra sebv s acta mvsei sabesiensi s

Sources of Funding for Cultural Institutions in Russia at the Turn of the 21

st

 Century 

 

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easily verified and investment risk is reduced.

20

 

Another classification method suggests distinguishing between 

whether fundraising is implemented externally or internally. The first 

approach involves contracting special agencies (i.e. not using the cultural 

organisation’s staff) to search for potential investors. The payment for such 

services can be assigned to operational fundraising, as a proportion of funds 

raised can go on salaries paid out by the non-profit organisation. In the case 

of internal fundraising, the non-profit organisation’s own staff are 

responsible for seeking potential investors for specific projects (as well as 

for devising the projects).

21

 

A positive example of the development and application of fundraising 

techniques is provided by the experiences of a municipal cultural institution, 

the Talmenskiy Local History Museum (Altai Territory, Russia). The 

museum staff won four grants of different amounts during the year 2013, 

including the President of the Russian Federation grant for projects of 

national significance in the sphere of culture, awarded for the project 

“Merry storyteller of darkness: Aleksandr Rou.” The theme of the project 

was not random: in 1942-1943 the Soviet director and founder of the 

domestic fantasy genre, Aleksandr Rou, shot his film The End of Koshchey the 

Immortal in the vicinity of the village Ozerki in Talmenskiy region, near Lake 

Bolshoe and the forest zone. The project “Merry storyteller of darkness: 

Aleksandr Rou” not only popularised the cinematic creativity of Alexander 

Rou, but also generated interest in Russian folklore heritage and respect for 

its material and spiritual wealth amongst a diverse public. 

At the turn of the 21

st

 century, Russian cultural institutions began to 

receive more opportunities to raise funds for their maintenance and for 

implementation of various projects, but often this has not been enough. 

The new market orientation of cultural organisations requires a new 

approach to marketing and advertising in the field of culture. To create this 

marketing strategy, organisations need to undertake comprehensive and in-

depth sociocultural research. Good managers should use different sources 

of information and creative approaches to launch and sell cultural products 

on the market. According to the director of the Institute of Theatre, Film, 

Radio and TV (Belgrade), Professor M. Dragichevich-Sheshich,

22

 there are 

several marketing-oriented stages to the preparation of cultural 

programmes. 

The first is market research. The purpose of research should be 

identification of the actual and potential audience, their lifestyles, values and 

                                                 

20

 Ibid., p. 34. 

21

 Ibid. 

22

 Dragichevich-Sheshich 2002, p. 4. 

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interests. Besides the audience’s cultural needs and level of cultural 

development, the marketing manager should pay attention to the main 

features of individual and group motivation. When s/he has determined at 

what point and how a person or group of people become motivated, s/he 

has the content for the upcoming advertising and marketing campaign. 

Managers must establish, then skilfully use the needs and motivations of the 

public, for example, exploiting “snobbish” motives to visit cultural 

programmes, or following current trends, based on the desire to keep up 

with the times, to live in harmony with nature, or to get “back to basics.”

23

 

The second stage is the definition of the overall marketing concept 

(the content, purpose and spirit of the advertising campaign). One of the 

misconceptions common to cultural and art spheres is that only educated 

people with well-developed cultural interests will be interested in art and 

cultural products; indeed, most advertising messages are directed in 

accordance with these views. However, advertising will be more effective if 

it is addressed to a wider range of people, if it attempts to attract new social 

groups to cultural life. 

The third stage is defining the strategy of the advertising campaign. 

Once the concept is defined, the manager selects the appropriate forms of 

advertising, depending on the population s/he is targeting the most. In 

most cases, s/he should rely on print and broadcast media, enlisting 

professionals to prepare advertisements for newspapers, TV and radio. 

However, if s/he is addressing advertising to any particular group, using 

additional forms of targeted promotion such as press conferences, 

distribution of booklets and catalogues, mailing, etc. is desirable. Posters, 

tickets or booklets should reflect the characteristics of the cultural 

organisation: an organisation’s image is mainly dependent on the quality and 

type of its programmes. To make an organisation’s image clear and 

recognisable, it is necessary to adopt it across the entire public face of the 

organisation, through information, advertising and concerted actions. 

The fourth stage is implementation of the plan, the general readying 

of the institution, its programmes, products and all available means of 

advertising. The plan should include a PR programme (unpaid advertising), 

as well as press conferences, presentations and the necessary contacts. 

The fifth stage is the use of advertising (public announcement of a 

product or programme). Public advertising should have its own strategy; the 

manager must choose the most opportune moment for the launch of the 

campaign (commercials, adverts in newspapers, etc.), as well as the most 

appropriate form of advertising. Although a degree of mystery, reticence or 

enticingly incomplete information in the advertising campaign can help 

                                                 

23

 Ibid. 

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